Blanton news

[Ohtaniland]

• The Angels will bring Joe Blanton to Spring Training and if they can't find a trade for the veteran hurler, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez opines (via Twitter), Blanton will simply be released.  Blanton posted a career-worst 6.04 ERA in 2013, though the advanced metrics (3.84 xFIP, 3.92 SIERA) indicate that ERA was inflated thanks to an ungainly 19.1% home run rate and a .346 BABIP.  The Halos would eat $8.5MM if they released Blanton --- his $7.5MM salary for 2014 and the $1MM buyout of his $8MM 2015 option.
• Gonzalez also tweets that he expects the Angels to sign another free agent pitcher to their rotation.

 

[mr.wichita]

just Blanton speculation, i suppose.....

[gotbeer]

Good luck Angels.  Good luck.  

[Docwaukee]

maybe Dipoto was drunk on this when he signed blanton:

 

https://www.blantonsbourbon.com/#

[YouthofToday]

Blanton will still be cheaper than Vernon Wells next year -- thanks Tony!

[disarcina]

Geez, this report will certainly up his trade value.........'if we can't get rid of the guy, we'll release him and pay the guy to pitch for some other team..........in fact, Halos will pay double if he goes to the A's or Texas and pitches against the Halos in at least half of the 18 games against each other"

[nikkachez]

After the Mulder signing and rumors about adding another starting pitcher, it only made sense that Blanton would be forced out of the pitching staff let alone rotation. We'll have Weaver, Wilson, (Free Agent), Richards, Santiago, Skaggs, Mulder, LeBlanc whose at least pitched in the majors, and Shoemaker in the rotation and Frieri, Smith, Burnett, De La Rosa, Kohn, Jepsen, Salas, Moran (who has to stay on the 25 man roster for a specific amount of time), Boshers, Rasmus, Maronde, Brasier, Roth, Wall, and Carson who I think they're a little high on. It's not great depth but it's a lot more than we had last year and I have a hard time seeing where Blanton fits in in all of this. Getting more and more excited for spring training

[HaloMagic]

Blanton posted a career-worst 6.04 ERA in 2013, though the advanced metrics (3.84 xFIP, 3.92 SIERA) indicate that ERA was inflated thanks to an ungainly 19.1% home run rate and a .346 BABIP.

The ERA was inflated because he's a shitty pitcher.

[Docwaukee]

The ERA was inflated because he's a shitty pitcher.

I love that. 

 

'he would've had a lower ERA if he didn't give up so many home runs' 

[Stradling]

The ERA was inflated because he's a shitty pitcher.

Pretty sure that's a false although true stat

[Brent Maguire]

The ERA was inflated because he's a shitty pitcher.

I laughed.

I like looking at FIP and xFIP but you can't just rely on that without any context. Blanton has always had HR issues so you can just assume that he's "unlucky" after all these seasons he's pitched.

According to FIP, Blanton had a better season than Weaver last year, which is just downright stupid. Weaver has shown that he induces weak contact and lots of infield pop ups, which doesn't show up in FIP.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

I'll bet he comes into 2014 in the best shape of his career.  Hence, the ball should really come out his hand very well.  Allowing him to turn the page or tip the cap with aplomb.

[Tank]

While I hope he never pitches for us again, like the rest of you I realize that he'll get released, sign with another AL team, and then proceed to go all Napoli on us next year.

I'm guessing he'll be an Astro next year.

[RePLAY]

I'm guessing he'll be an Astro next year.

Poor Astros...I don't wish Blanton upon anybody... even a rival.

[Tyler]

Hard to feel bad for a guy who will get released that makes that kind of dough--but I do. Dipoto made the offer he couldn't refuse.

[ELEVEN]

I laughed.

I like looking at FIP and xFIP but you can't just rely on that without any context. Blanton has always had HR issues so you can just assume that he's "unlucky" after all these seasons he's pitched.

According to FIP, Blanton had a better season than Weaver last year, which is just downright stupid. Weaver has shown that he induces weak contact and lots of infield pop ups, which doesn't show up in FIP.

And it kills cats!

[Brent Maguire]

Actually the Astros would make some sense. 

 

They really have nothing to lose if they picked him up. If he sucks, they barely pay him anything. If he produces a little better, then they flip him to a team that needs him and get value from that. 

[Redondo]

Good luck Angels.  Good luck.  

 

Exactly. Hard to see another team trading for him and giving anything of value.

 

 Getting more and more excited for spring training

 

It's creeping up on us. I too am getting excited for spring training.

[gurn67]

I got sick of him right away when he would give up line drives all over the place and then after the game talk like he just gave up a few bloop hits. The "ungainly" HR rate wasn't because he was making a ton of starts at Coors Field, it's because the only way he can get hitters out it by fooling them and he wasn't fooling ANYBODY. Well, anybody other than Dipoto.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Vernon Wells.

Had a great spring. Curtis Granderson got hurt.

Bingo. Angels saved $13 million bucks.

[Jimmag]

I may get crushed for saying this however, I think he holds some value in the bullpen.

[stevestevens]

Sabremetrics are good stats but they flounder a little when they talk about HR rate and BABIP as trends that are too high and must come down to a normal average.  Sometimes you just have to watch the players and judge for yourself.  Blanton sucks and has a flat fastball and curveball so players are going to hit him hard making a high HR rate and BABIP.  Trout has a high BABIP because he hits the ball so damn hard.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I may get crushed for saying this however, I think he holds some value in the bullpen.

 

Pitching batting practice.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I love that. 

 

'he would've had a lower ERA if he didn't give up so many home runs' 

 

The writer acts as if it were some kind of fluke that his ERA was up because a lot of balls found the seats.

[tdawg87]

I don't see how Blanton couldn't be traded, so long as the Angels pitch in most of his contract. Considering how the pitching market has shaped this offseason, at least 2-3 teams would be happy to take on his services at 1-2 million. Then again maybe every GM in baseball isn't an idiot.